States
State Standards
States have historically led the nation in the development of new appliance standards. A typical progression begins with a state, usually California, setting an efficiency standard for a particular product. Other states then adopt identical or similar standards (see historical state standards link below for more info). Once several states have adopted standards, manufacturers of the affected products will often negotiate with the states and efficiency advocacy groups in order to develop a consensus recommendation for a national standard. In general, manufacturers, distributors and retailers prefer national standards over a state-by-state patchwork. Consensus recommendations for new standards have formed the basis for nearly all initial national standards.
By setting appliance efficiency standards, states can decrease energy use, save consumers and businesses money, and reduce greenhouse gases. Usually new state standards cover products for which there are no existing national standards because, with limited exceptions, national standards preempt state standards. We provide the information below to assist state energy offices, legislators, and policy advocates.
Resources
| If you’d like information about… | Go to… |
| Current State Standards | Status of State Energy Efficiency Standards (below) |
| Historical State Standards | State Standards adopted since 2001 and Product Chart (click on a product to see the timeline) |
| Setting Standards in Your State and Potential Savings From State Standards | Savings from State Appliance Standards |
| Existing State Laws and Regulations | Links to DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) |
| Compliance Product Lists for California, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Washington | Multi-State Compliance Standards Collaborative |
| State Benefits and Costs of Appliance Standards Scheduled for Implementation by DOE Through 2016 | The Efficiency Boom: Cashing in on the Savings from Appliance Standards (2012 ASAP/ACEEE report) |
State Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards
This table only includes efficiency standards which states are responsible for enforcing. Many standards enacted by states since 2001 have subsequently been enacted federally and are now the responsibility of the federal government. They are not included in this table. For a historical listing of state standards, see: State Standards adopted since 2001
The date indicated is the year of enactment (not the effective year).
| Product | AZ | CA | CO | CT | DC | GA | MD | NH | OR | RI | TX | WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Chargers | 2012 | 2013 | ||||||||||
| Compact Audio Equipment | 2004 | 2011 | 2007 | |||||||||
| Deep-dimming fluorescent ballasts | 2015 | |||||||||||
| DVD Players and Recorders | 2004 | 2011 | 2007 | |||||||||
| External Power Supplies | 2012 | |||||||||||
| Faucets | 2015 | 2014 | ||||||||||
| General Service Lamps | 2008 | |||||||||||
| High Light Output Double-Ended Quartz Halogen Lamps | 2013 | |||||||||||
| Hot Food Holding Cabinets | 2004 | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2009 | ||||
| Luminaires | 2008 | |||||||||||
| Mercury Vapor Lamp Ballasts | 2005 | |||||||||||
| Metal Halide Lamp Fixtures | 2009 | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous Refrigeration Products | 2002 | |||||||||||
| Pool Pumps | 2009 | 2009 | 2007 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Portable Electric Spas | 2009 | 2004 | 2007 | 2007 | 2009 | |||||||
| Showerheads | 2015 | 2014 | ||||||||||
| Small-diameter directional lamps | 2016 | |||||||||||
| Televisions | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | |||||||||
| Toilets | 2015 | 2014 | 2010 | 2009 | ||||||||
| Urinals | 2015 | 2014 | 2009 | |||||||||
| Water Dispensers | 2004 | 2007 | 2007 | 2007 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2009 |
Notes:
- Year indicates the date the standard was adopted.
- CA metal halide fixture standards are exempt from federal preemption
- CA accelerates 2020 general service incandescent standards to 2018
- This table only includes standards which states are responsible for enforcing. Many standards enacted by states since 2001 have subsequently been enacted federally and are now the responsibility of the federal government. They are not included in this table.
- New York's Appliance Standards law requires that the standards levels be developed through a regulatory process. Standards will be included on this table when the levels have been determined.
